The true test of the Committee on World Food Security will be whether, for all its open discussion, any change is felt at local level. Photograph: AFP/Getty

A strength of the food security talks in Rome is the coming together of civil society and the UN. But how much impact the outcomes have on the poor is questionable, says Claire ProvostContinue reading...

A hospital ward in in Soweto, South Africa. ‘It is widely accepted that universal health coverage is appropriate for all countries, but there is no consensus on how to get there.’ Photograph: Saurabh Das/AP

Rob Yates: Compulsory public financing is the best way to ensure universal and fair healthcare in developing countries, research shows Continue reading...